A Little of This & A Little of That!

Yesterday I had such a productive evening. I had set some pretty aggressive goals considering I was pretty exhausted. Below is what I wanted to do:

Hit up Pilates with Sarah - CHECK

I have pushing my body pretty hard this week with cardio so this was a great change! I love Pilates because it focuses on strengthening my core and flexibility without a lot of impact on my joints...man this makes me sound old! 

Walk around Kirkland because it was beautiful outside - CHECK

After Pilates I convinced Sarah to walk around Kirkland and go shopping with me. The sun disappeared but it was still nice enough to walk around. Sarah had told me Romy's was having a 50% off everything sale, so I definitely wanted to check it out. I am so glad I did because I got a summer dress and very stylish belt for $30. As we began our walk back to our cars it of course started raining...and then pouring, typical Seattle.

Super cheap and cute dress!

Eat Something Green for Dinner - CHECK

This week I didn't plan a menu because I have been meeting up with friends for dinner/happy hour a lot. So I got home and decided to follow this motto: A Little of This A Little of That! I have tons of stuff in my fridge so I decided breakfast for dinner sounds great! I cooked up an egg with the works (spinach, onion, garlic, broccoli and feta cheese), breakfast potatoes (1 red potato, a few butternut squash piece, salt & pepper, garlic, onion and oregano) and a half of a sandwich thin with the usual suspects. 

Totally satisfying breakfast for dinner!

This book is phenomenal! It is the perfect mix of Christopher's running journey and the evolution/history of running. After reading portions of this book I was driven to go run longer distances and not worry about my pace. :) This book really made me think about improving my running form and diet. It also made me question how much money I spend on shoes because they could possibly be hindering my running and creating training setbacks. I consider any book that makes me think a winner! :) I recommend this book to everyone not just runners. If you aren't a runner you just may try it after reading this amazing book! 

  Continuing my GREEN theme with a delish Matcha Green Tea Latte!

A little of this & a little of that is a great way to spend an evening and I recommend it to anyone who feels like they are exhausted or need to spice up an evening. :) I think I finally have the reading bug again...so last night I started reading Shadow of the Dolls! It is the sequel to one of my favorite books Valley of the Dolls aka the original Sex and the City. I have been doing a lot critically acclaimed reading so it is time for me to read something that just plain entertains me. :) I will let you know how it turns out! 

Green Monstah!

This morning was a bit of a struggle, I had a tough time sleeping last night. When I finally got up I was moving surprisingly quickly. I decided today was the perfect day to make and taste the popular Green Monster Smoothie. I have been hearing amazing things about this smoothie all over the blog world. The smoothie supposedly curbs sweet cravings, gives you energy and has been known to clear up complexions. I decided to give it a try because I was lacking energy!!!

So Amazing & Easy!

Banana & Blueberry Green Monstah

2-3 handfuls of spinach

1 cup of almond milk 

1 tablespoon of flax seed (optional)

1 banana

1/2 cup of blueberries

3-6 ice cubes

Angela the creator of the Green Monster Movement suggests that you put in flax seed, spinach, banana and blueberries in first and then add the milk. Blend for about a minute and then add the ice and change the blender setting to the ice crush setting. 

After tasting it I have decided to join the Green Monster Movement, but since I love Boston so much I am going to always refer to it as the Green Monstah Movement and Smoothie. Sorry Kelly but I just love the Boston accent and I really hope Lily has one! Kelly is my amazing sister in law that grew up in Boston and actually took speech lessons to get rid of her beloved Boston accent. 

This smoothie is super filling and made my morning so much better! I was amazed at how good this tasted! I put the Green Monstah in my shaker cup and hit the road but not before snapping a few awesome pictures of myself drinking my very first Green Monstah. 

Being Redic - Take 1 

Being Redic - Take 2...did I mention I was tired!

I realized around 11am that I left my lunch at home...yes it took me that long to figure it out. So I decided to hit up Subway for the second time this week. I can't get enough of there Veggie Patty sandwich. I got the sandwich to go and headed back to the office to enjoy it with a side of broccoli I had left over from yesterday. :) I am trying to eat an insane amount of green food today!!! I feel like I am doing a really good job of being green today.

Look at all that green...I am in heaven! 

Today is turning out to be a pretty good Thursday. Tonight my goals are aggressive pilates class, walk outside (bc it is beautiful out), finish Born to Run and eat something green for dinner! :) I will let you know how it goes. 

If You Look Ridic...Work it! :)

Today started off great, I actually left the house early. Isn’t that a crazy concept. For breakfast it was the typical oatmeal and a sandwich thin topped with the works (peanut butter, chocolate chips and a half of a banana). 

I got to work a little early which was good because I needed to finish my NCAA bracket. Every year my parents and I bet a DQ Blizzard! It’s a pretty intense battle we have going on and I definitely don’t want to lose to my mom again.  

Work was crazy busy today which is great because the day flew by. For lunch I had a delicious meatless patty on a whole wheat flatbread topped with a little colby cheese. This was the easiest lunch ever just pop it in the microwave and you have an amazing lunch. I also had a side of peas and carrots, I don't think I will be having these again...not so yummy.

I want this for lunch everyday...less the peas and carrots!

Xtra cheese please! :)

I had Pilates today at 430pm so at 4pm I went to change in the bathroom and realized I didn’t bring my running shoes…yikes. I didn’t really need them but my workout outfit was going to look a little bizarre with my high brown boots and spandex. I walked back into the office and my dad said “What is that?” 

I started to laugh because I really didn’t have an answer. My boss and my dad just told me to watch to see if people even noticed. So when I got to my car I looked around and saw that my green turtle rain boots in the car and I thought that is a way better solution to my footwear problem. Why did I think this…I really have no idea because the sun was shining and rain boots were definitely even more eye catching. As I got out of my car to head into the gym I knew I looked super RIDIC but I decided to work it and smile. I got some pretty awesome looks but a lot of people said I really like your boots. I knew they were laughing at me but I was working it so it didn’t matter.  

View 1 of looking RIDIC! 

View 2 of looking RIDIC! But I just love the boots! Thanks Kel.

Pilates with Gina was super tough today. I really struggled on the pushups and had to go to my knees quite a bit. It felt great to get some low impact exercise in the rotation. I think my body really appreciated it.  

I had to head to the grocery store after Pilates to get stuff for the Baby Shower I am hosting with my friend Sarah for our friend Tiana. I was still working my rain boots and walking with all the confidence in the world all around the grocery store. To tell you the truth I didn’t even notice people looking at me funny. 

At the grocery store I had to get all the stuff the curried chicken salad sandwiches I am making. I wanted to prep it tonight so I could get it ready in a flash tomorrow night and not stress the day of the shower.  Before I made the chicken salad sandwiches I decided I needed a protein shake as the main course of my dinner. It consisted of 6 ounces of milk, 2 ounces of water, 1 scoop of protein powder, teaspoon of sunflower seed butter, ½ teaspoon nutella and an entire banana (okay it was a small banana). And this shake was delicious maybe my best to date.

This size of Nutella is not a good idea for me! :)

After I devoured the shake I started making my curried chicken salad sandwiches. I got the recipe from Smart Cooking, The Costco Way. I got this as a Christmas present and now I am finally putting it to use. I am going to change the ingredients a bit. I am using canned chicken instead of chopped chicken breast, I am using dried cranberries instead of grapes and I am also going to add celery to the recipe to add some much needed crunch. I am keeping the base the same though. Here is the recipe:

¼ cup sliced almonds
½ cup non plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 ½ cups of cubed cooked chicken breast – substituted canned chicken
1 cup halved red grapes – substituted cranberries
¼ cup cilantro
Salt and pepper

Super easy and tasty! At least I think so.

I mixed the chicken and the wet ingredients together and tomorrow I will mix in the goods. I ate a little bit of this as a portion of my dinner but I still wasn’t satisfied. So I decided to cut up an apple and smother it with Nutella and sunflower seed butter. Yummy…I tried to be responsible with the smothering and did an okay job but not a great job by any means.

I can't wait to add the good stuff tomorrow.

Now it’s time to do try and find a bathing suit in the Victoria Secret catalog. This is the easy part actually trying on the bathing suit is another story. I will have to be in the mindset of if you look RIDIC work it!!  

Not in the Mood to Run...

I am an avid runner and most of the time I love running, but somedays it just doesn't seem fun. As a fitness fanatic I am always looking to find alternative forms of cardio and strength training to shock my body! :) 

Below are the best classes I have found! If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

FlyFlex - Fly Fitness

This a new small gym located on Carillon Point in Kirkland. FlyFlex is a total body workout that slims your hips, tightens your thighs, lifts your bum and increases your metabolism. This is the best sculpting class I have been to because no class is ever the same. Tracy is the best and all the other trainers are equally great.

FlyCycle - Fly Fitness

This is another class offered at Fly Fitness. Flycycle is a traditional spinning class, 

you get it all…hills, sprints and endurance followed by abdominal and core exercise. The best part is that you are never looking at the clock. The instructors are awesome, the music is great, classes are small and again no class is ever the same! 

Organized Chaos - Fly Fitness
This is the best bootcamp on the Eastside! :) Anything goes with this ultimate calorie-burning workout! Each class is different, but every class is equally fun and challenging. 

Pilates w/ Gina - 24 Hour Fitness 

I absolutely love Gina's Pilates class at the Kirkland 24 Hour fitness on Thursday's. I have been a regular for about a year and I still find the class challenging, it works parts of your body that you always neglect. It is a great full body strength workout and if you are a member at 24 Hour Fitness the class is FREE (well sort of).

Zumba w/ Michaela - 24 Hour Fitness

This is an awesome workout! You shake you butt for 60 minutes and the last thing you are worried about is how you look because you are burning close to 500 calories. This class will up your energy and make you smile. Michaela is great and she really can shake it, the music is current and she is constantly changing the dances! Note: This class is always full so be prepared to get really close to your neighbors. :) 

Zumba w/ Quincy - Issaquah Community Center

This Zumba class is not as high intensity as the 24 Hour Fitness class but is still a great workout. The class is usually small, the demographic is a little older and the music is more classic Zumba music. Quincy is a great instructor, she is so encouraging. My favorite part of the class is when you get to put on a belly dancing skirt, believe me you will feel like a certified belly dancer. :) The first class is free, and the drop in rate is ONLY $6. You can also buy a package of 10 classes for $50, you can't beat those prices and the class is well worth the money. 

Barre3 - Barre3 Bellevue

This is an amazing class that combines ballet with yoga and pilates. This is the most challenging class I have taken in awhile. You are working muscles you haven't work in years, my legs were shaking 25 minutes into the class. I was lucky enough to do this class for FREE, when it first opened. The classes are a little expensive but well worth it, if you love the unique workout. It is a really great studio and they offer daycare for $5. Be on the lookout for locations opening up all around Seattle, because they usually offer FREE classes and discounted packages.

Hooping w/ Amanda - Sirin Hoops

This a great class to do w/ a group of girlfriends because it takes your back to your childhood. I took the beginners hoop class and it was so much fun, Amanda's excitement for hooping was contagious! The hour long class is a great low impact workout, you learn how to walk & hoop, hoop around your neck & arms and even dance while hooping. The best part was I was really sore the next day!! The first class is FREE and each additional class is $15. 

Yoga Classes - Luluemon

Lululemon offers yoga classes at their Bellevue Square location every Sunday at 9:30. The great part is they feature a different studio every month and all the classes are FREE. This is how I found about Fly Fitness my new favorite studio. I have been to these classes a number of times and have never left disappointed. I really enjoy being able to try different studios in the area without doing any research. I recommend joining their Facebook FanPage so you can get all the information.